For Daniel Guerra, a 43-year-old aspiring Brazilian sailor, the opportunity to sail across the Atlantic seemed like a dream come true. Alongside fellow recruit Rodrigo Dantas, Guerra answered an online job advert seeking deckhands for a British yacht owner, George “Fox” Saul. The voyage promised no salary, but all expenses would be covered, and more importantly, it would provide the crucial sailing experience Guerra needed to qualify as a sea captain.
Both sailors were eager for the adventure and felt lucky to have found a seemingly kind and approachable employer in Fox. Despite their initial fears of encountering a difficult yacht owner, Fox’s relaxed demeanor and friendliness eased their concerns. Even Dantas’ parents, worried about their son’s safety on such a long journey with a stranger, were reassured by Fox’s charm, convinced that their son was in safe hands. The voyage was set on the yacht Rich Harvest, and the crew included the two Brazilian sailors, an additional crew member, and a newly hired French captain.
The journey began in August 2017, under what seemed to be perfect conditions. Fox, however, did not accompany the crew on the trip, choosing to fly back to Europe instead. But before departure, local authorities had already raised suspicions. Brazilian police, acting on a tip from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), spent hours searching the yacht for drugs but found nothing. Dantas and Guerra believed this was merely a routine check and thought little of it.
Weeks into the voyage, the yacht ran into technical problems and docked in Cape Verde for repairs. Once again, the police arrived, this time with specialized equipment. To the crew’s shock, authorities uncovered nearly 1.2 tonnes of cocaine hidden beneath the yacht’s false floors—a street value estimated at £100 million. Guerra and Dantas, who had no prior knowledge of the drugs, were devastated. What had started as an exciting adventure now spiraled into a nightmare.
The two Brazilians, alongside their fellow crew members, were arrested and put on trial in Cape Verde. They protested their innocence, explaining that they had never met Fox before responding to his job advert. Despite their pleas, they were sentenced to 10 years in prison, in what was hailed as one of the largest drug busts in Cape Verdean history.
Brazilian police, meanwhile, believed Fox was the mastermind behind the operation, orchestrating the smuggling of drugs from Brazil to Europe. However, Fox managed to evade justice. Arrested in Italy in August 2018, he was freed after Brazilian authorities failed to complete the necessary extradition paperwork in time. To this day, Fox remains a free man, living in the UK and running a property firm in Norwich.
For Guerra and Dantas, their wrongful conviction and time in prison took a heavy toll. Although their sentences were overturned in 2019, and they were allowed to return home to Brazil, their dreams of becoming yacht captains were shattered. The sailing world they once loved now seemed tainted by betrayal and distrust. The incident left them questioning not only their careers but their ability to trust others—an essential trait for any sailor embarking on long ocean journeys.
Despite their eventual release, justice remains elusive for Guerra and Dantas. Fox, the man whose job offer turned their lives upside down, continues to live without facing the consequences of his actions. For Guerra, meeting Fox again would bring up all the anger and frustration he felt during his wrongful imprisonment. As he puts it, “If I meet him, it won’t be me who’s going to talk. It will be another Daniel.”
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